Actor, writer, producer, and director—it goes without saying that the fabulous Kristina Denton can truly do it all! Denton recently showcased her phenomenal talent as she teamed up with Ryan Curtis to co-write the gripping crime thriller Hollywood Grit. The film has been garnering rave reviews and follows a detective who battles mobsters, starlets, and his own demons to uncover the truth after his daughter disappears from a Hollywood jazz club. Starring Max Martini, Tyrese Gibson, Patrick Duffy, and Linda Purl, this action-packed and completely captivating movie perfectly exemplifies the kind of brilliant project that comes to life when Denton is behind it.
Denton has also penned other standout projects, including Bonded, Ladysitter, and Maxie Solters’ CLIMAX! The Series. Not only does she excel behind the camera, bringing stories from her creative mind to the screen, but she also shines in front of it. She’s a familiar face in projects such as Redemption Day, Scream: The Fan Favorite, and the popular Chinese TV series Seven Days.
The multi-talented Denton has also been busy writing—not just for on-screen projects, but for her very own book! Her upcoming memoir, You Don’t Know Dick, is set to be released in early 2026. It chronicles her time working at a men’s erectile dysfunction clinic. This period of her life was a profound learning experience, and through her memoir, Denton explores how she navigated grief, identity, and modern masculinity.
Needless to say, the marvelous Kristina Denton is a true wonder, and any project she works on is nothing short of stupendous!
I had an exceptional time interviewing the magnificent Denton about what inspired her to dedicate her life to writing and storytelling, her experience working on Hollywood Grit, and so much more only in our VIPAccessEXCLUSIVE interview. Denton also shared more about her memoir—read what she had to say in our interview below.
AlexisJoyVIPAccess: Congratulations on all the amazing success with your career! First off, what inspired you to focus your life around being a writer and storyteller?
Kristina Denton: Thank you! This is a funny story… Apparently, I told my mother I wanted to be an actress at the age of two! I have no idea what I knew about acting then, but I imagine I felt the magic of movies even at that young age. Movies and TV were this wondrous space where anything was possible. I could escape into places I’d never been. So it started with fantasy, but as I got older and felt impacted emotionally by film and TV, I found myself relating to the characters in ways that made me feel seen, less odd and alone. I knew how good that made me feel and something always called me to be part of the process of storytelling to help others feel like they belong.
AlexisJoyVIPAccess: You co-wrote the crime thriller, Hollywood Grit, out in theaters now. What was the experience like working on this film?
Kristina Denton: Fast and fearless. Before we had a script, we had a budget, some locations, and a small but mighty cast already on board. Using those elements, we crafted a story to fit in about three weeks. Once we had our lead Max Martini on board, pre-production was only about a month and we were shooting. Unreal.
My co-writer/director Ryan Curtis brings incredible visual talent with years as a director, plus he’s a combat veteran and that fed the grit of the film. I come from an acting background, so character and dialogue are my specialty. Our strengths combined to give the movie its bite and its heart.
One of my favorite elements about Hollywood Grit is not only the rich characters, but the original music. Our soundtrack has almost entirely original songs. I loved knowing that my words inspired our songwriters to craft all this music from scratch in just two weeks.
Indie filmmaking is like a contact sport, but the team showed up with grit in the title and grit in the work. It was a wild ride!
AlexisJoyVIPAccess: What was it like seeing your work go from page to the big screen at the premiere?
Kristina Denton: Surreal and deeply human. You write in silence for months, and then suddenly a room full of strangers is leaning forward, laughing, going quiet in the exact places you hoped. I kept watching the audience more than the screen. It felt like handing over a secret and hearing, “We get it.” I cried many times feeling so proud of our whole team. The story has a lot of personal elements in it, so that was really moving to watch it come to life for me as well.
AlexisJoyVIPAccess: What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about yourself through your career as a writer/storyteller?
Kristina Denton: That my voice is my currency and doubt is expensive. The more honest I am, the better the work lands. Bleeding on the page is a risk, but it is also always rewarding. It’s my job to tell the truth and bring authenticity to every moment and exchange. I feel responsible to pull as much out of my own heart and soul as I can access to pour it into my characters. What I do is a calling, it’s not optional, so I have to give it my all to sleep at night.
AlexisJoyVIPAccess: Is there a moment from Hollywood Grit that sticks with you most?
Kristina Denton: I think watching Linda Purl do her final scene. Without giving anything away, that moment captures for me the theme of the movie. There is something so incredibly personal for me and powerful in the way it ends. I hope audiences connect with it the way I do.
AlexisJoyVIPAccess: Your memoir, You Don’t Know Dick, releases in 2026. What was it like working on that project?
Kristina Denton: It was like open-heart surgery with a laugh track. I wrote about a year working in an erectile dysfunction clinic while grieving my dad, two subjects we don’t talk about enough. The clinic became this spiritual classroom on masculinity, shame, and tenderness. Writing it forced me to tell the truth without flinching and to let humor be the pressure valve so the hard parts could breathe. It was the hardest project I’ve ever done in my career, but incredibly worth it. I am excited to see how it lands out there in the world…also terribly nervous.
AlexisJoyVIPAccess: Lastly, if you could share one message with your supporters, what would it be?
Kristina Denton: Thank you for showing up. Stay brave, stay curious, and keep talking about the uncomfortable stuff with compassion and a sense of humor. That’s how we heal, that’s how we connect, and that’s how the best stories get made. And keep supporting indie movies!